Tuberculosis

Where can I buy Rimactazid 300 in the US?

06/05/2008

Question:

I and my family just came here in the US. Before coming here, my son was given prescription for Latent TB meds by our doctor in Vietnam. His lung xray showed possibilities of TB but he was assymptomatic and his sputum results were negative. But the doctor recommended him to take the meds to be on the safe side. Now he is running out of meds so I tried to find one for him in the pharmacies here but they do not know the medicine, and do not have it. Is there an equivalent name for Rimactazid 300 in the US? Would the pharmacists mind if I show my son`s Rimactazid300 prescription for that one (if Rimactazid300 indeed has an equivalent name in US)? Would it be ok to skip 1 dose of the med? Thanks!

Answer:

Rimactazid is a combination tablet which contains Isoniazid and Rifampin. We generally do not use these combination tablets in the United States. The fact that your doctor started both Isoniazid and Rifampin suggests that he/she was not sure that your child had latent TB infection and was covering the possibility of active tuberculosis. I would suggest that you consult with your local tuberculosis clinic (you can obtain this number from the state health department) or with a local pediatric infectious disease specialist who can provide appropriate treatment/prescriptions.

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